The second conditional

  • B1 · Intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

The second conditional, if + past simple, would / could + verb, for imagined situations now and in the future: If everyone got $1,000 a month, would people stop working? From an article about universal basic income to planning an imaginary experiment in your own town.

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If I had…would gocould help

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Reading: free money for everyone?Reading comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find would and couldGrammar exercise
  6. 6The second conditionalGrammar rule
  7. 7Choose the right formGrammar exercise
  8. 8A street surveyGrammar exercise
  9. 9Find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  10. 10Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  11. 11Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  12. 12The town experimentSpeaking practice
  13. 13About youGrammar exercise
  14. 14Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: match the halvesGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: it isn't true, but imagineGrammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the sentencesGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: a year of free moneyDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Do you think money can make people happy? Why, or why not?
  2. Who in your family is the best with money?
  3. Have you ever received money that you didn't expect? What did you do with it?

Grammar rule

The second conditional

if + past simple, would / could + verb

For an imagined situation: not true now, or not likely in the future. The past form in the if part does not mean the past: it means "not real".

if part: past simpleresult: would / could + verb
PositiveIf our town had a skate park,we would go every week.
NegativeIf the buses didn't stop at midnight,more people would go out at night.
QuestionIf your boss asked you to move abroad,would you go?
  • could = would be able to: If my brother had a truck, he could help us move.
  • The result can come first, with no comma: We would go every week if our town had a skate park.
  • be: were for every person in careful English; was is common in conversation: If Dad were (or was) here, he would know what to do.
  • Short forms: I'd, you'd, she'd, they'd = I would… · wouldn't = would not
Possible or imagined? If it rains tomorrow, we'll stay home. (It might rain: if + present, will.) · If it rained every day, we'd move. (It doesn't: if + past, would.)

Watch out

  • No would in the if part: If the bus would be faster, … → If the bus were faster, … (Polite phrases like if you'd like are different.)
  • would + base verb: would bought → would buy.
  • Questions: What would you do…? (not What you would do…?)
  • 'd can be would or had: I'd go (= would go) · I'd gone (= had gone).

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